AUS vs IND, 1st Test | Fantasy Tips, Prediction & Preview

Australia will take on India in the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. It promises to be a strategic battle between two premier fast bowlers. Pat Cummins, an established leader, has mastered the art of captaincy, while the first Test in Perth marks only the second time Jasprit Bumrah will captain India in Test cricket.  

Australia, despite being a lethal force at home, flunked against an injury-riddled India in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Series. In fact, they are yet to win the prestigious trophy since 2016. Hence, a fire of revenge is certainly burning in the Aussie dressing room. While Cameron Green is injured, Nathan McSweeney is expected to make his debut. Smith and Labuschagne will also be a threat, given their phenomenal record at home. Starc, Hazlewood, and Cummins will spearhead the pace department, and this trio will essentially be difference makers. 

On the other hand, India is not only under pressure to defend the BGT title but also qualify for the WTC 2025 finals. Coming from a whitewash defeat at home, the spirit is low in the visitors dressing room. Moreover, the absence of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill has further dented their odds to win. Virat Kohli, a massive hero equally in Australia, is searching for runs. The batting order has to be tweaked and Devdutt Padikkal may come into the picture with perhaps K.L. Rahul moving at top with Yashasvi Jaiswal. With demand for some batting insurance lower down the order, the team management may be inclined towards seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy.

Match Timings

Match Toss Time - 07:20 AM IST (01:50 AM GMT)

Match Start Time - 07:50 AM IST (02:20 AM GMT)

Match Venue - Optus stadium, Perth, Australia

Head to Head

Matches Played - 107

Australia won - 45     India won - 32

Draw - 29                  Tied - 01

Last 5 meetings

Australia won - 02     India won - 02

Draw - 01

Pitch Report

The surface at Optus stadium is expected to be fast and bouncy. There will be help for the seamers throughout the Test match with either seam movements in the initial days or uneven bounce in the last part of the Test match.

Weather Report

The weather forecast predicts cloud cover of 48% hovering over the city of Perth. However, the forecast for the next five days seems sunny and rain-free. The game is expected to proceed without any hindrances. The temperature is expected to be 22°C with winds coming in from the South-West region at 20 km/h.

Probable Playing XI  

Australia (AUS) - Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey(wk), Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins(c), Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc

India (IND) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(wk), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah(c) 

Must Picks

AUS - Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc

IND -  Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah

AUS vs IND Fantasy Team

Wicket-Keeper : Rishabh Pant

Batters : Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne

All-rounder : Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin

Bowlers : Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah

Captain and Vice-Captain picks

Captain : Mitchell Starc

Vice-Captain : Jasprit Bumrah

Prediction

Australia's win percentage is exceptional at Perth Stadium. Regular skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill’s absence is a big concern for India. Moreover, after comparing both squads and gauging their pace bowling strength, Australia are favorites to win this game. 

Sportco predicts Australia to beat India in the first Test of the five-match Test series.

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Cover Credits - Sky Sports